By the end of the module students should be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts delivered in the course;
• Apply their acquired knowledge to the solution of relevant problems;
• demonstrate an ability to work independently, i.e. adopt student-centred study modes;
• understand the role of hydrogen as an energy carrier and that as a fuel it is only as green as the means of its production;
• explain the chemistry behind the current and proposed processes for the production of hydrogen and outline the advantages and disadvantages of each;
• explain the principles of operation of photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical cells;
• describe the main current and proposed methods for the storage of hydrogen and outline the advantages and disadvantages of each;
• estimate the maximum amount of hydrogen that may be stored on a solid through physisorption and compare with experimental measurements;
• analyse the thermodynamic requirements for convenient solid storage and distinguish between thermodynamic and kinetic reversibility;
• derive thermodynamic parameters for the formation of hydrides using pressure composition isotherms and the van’t Hoff equation;
• understand why the thermodynamics of hydrogen producing reactions are fundamentally different from the thermal decomposition of hydrides;
• use the second law of thermodynamics to derive an expression for the efficiency of energy conversion upon oxidation of a fuel;
• compare theoretical and practical conversion efficiencies for the conversion of hydrogen to water in an internal combustion engine and in fuel cells;
• discuss possible applications of different types of fuel cell in a hydrogen economy;
• outline the different types of defects in solids;
• understand why some solids show high ionic conduction, including mechanistic aspects of the conduction process (including cooperative features);
• understand the dependence of conductivity on p(O2) and p(H2O) in both ionic conductors and mixed (ionic + electronic) conductors;
• outline the main features of the operation of a Li ion battery;
• compare and contrast the different materials used in Li ion batteries;
• calculate the capacity of a Li ion battery material, as well as the current required to charge a battery at a specific rate;
• outline the main features of the operation of a fuel cell as well as the types of fuel cell;
• calculate the open circuit voltage of a hydrogen fuel cell as a function of the fuel used;
• calculate and compare theoretical and practical conversion efficiencies of fuel cells to current methods for power generation;
• outline the key features of solid oxide fuel cells/polymer fuel cells, including an understanding of the roles and limitations of currently used materials;
• discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different fuels, which may be employed in solid oxide fuel cells;
• understand how to take the crystallographic information reported in a paper and produce a packing diagram as well as assess the quality of the study;
• outline the procedure of solving unknown crystal structures;
• understand how diffractometers work;
• describe the use of laboratory X-ray, synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction techniques;
• undertake basic analysis of X-ray powder diffraction patterns;
• explain whole powder pattern fitting techniques;
• understand Pair Distribution Function analysis and the information contained in a pattern.